Friday, June 26, 2015

John Green is one of my favorite authors who happens to write books I don't really care about. I think he is funny and brilliant, but not necessarily in his books. I follow a lot of what he writes and says outside of his books, and can't get enough. For that reason, I keep reading his books.

Paper Towns is a book about a nerdy boy and the popular girl next door he is in love with. They were friends as kids, but as they grew up, they stopped spending so much time together. One night, Margo (the popular girl) climbs into Q's (the nerdy boy) window and wants to sneak out with him to extract revenge upon those who have wronged her. After a night of adventure, Margo doesn't show up to school for a few days and Q sets off to find her.

As with Green's book Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns shows a boy who likes a girl based upon what he created in his mind, and not really the person. Q seems to miss that Margo came to him not out of unrequited love, but because he was close and had a car. He then spends most of his time and energy (and his friends' time and energy) in search of a girl who hadn't given him the time of day in years. I liked this because it's more realistic than most movies/books.

As with his other novels, my favorite character was a side character. Radar was Q's best friend. Along with having a fun personality and being a loyal friend, Radar had to live with parent's who had the world's largest black Santa collection that they showed with pride. It was an awesome side character to put in a book and added an element of sarcasm and humor.

In the end, I thought the book was okay, but not great. It was boring in the middle and I hated both Margo and Q throughout the majority of the book. Once again, I am not sure if I am disappointed because the book wasn't that great, or if I built up anticipation because of the author. Read for yourself and tell me what you think.

Rating: R (language and sexual content)

Recommended for those who enjoy: coming of age stories, teenage love stories, and sarcasm.

Monday, June 22, 2015

It's time for Making Up For Monday! This is a weekly meme hosted by me that asks some fun literary questions. Feel free to play along!

This week's question: What do you do if someone you love recommends a book and you end up hating it?

This is a tough one. I never want to hurt anyone's feelings but I don't want to lie. For one, if I tell them I like it, they may keep recommending the same type of book, and then you are stuck. But if you tell the truth, it might really hurt their feelings.

My approach is to tell them that it just wasn't my style. This way they may understand that it isn't a personal thing, just a matter of style.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

It's time for Making Up For Monday! This is a weekly meme hosted by me that asks some fun literary questions. Feel free to play along!

This week's question: What is your biggest pet peeve with authors?

This is an easy one for me because it's been on my mind a lot lately. I love reading books becasue they become so personal to me. The story and characters combine with my thoughts and experiences to give me my own personal view and opinion of the book. What I get out of a book is a unique experience. Books are a form of art and as with most art, it's not about what the artist puts into it; it's what others get out of it.

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighter once said:

“That’s one of the great things about music. You can sing a
song to 85,000 people and they’ll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons.”

While he was talking about music, I think they same applies to books. The author may write it for one reason, but everyone reads it for a different reason.

So what's my pet peeve? Authors who come out and say what I should have gotten from the book. No! You do not get to tell me how I should interpret your book. I am a unique individual with a unique life experience and I will get something different out of than what you thought you put in. AND THAT'S OKAY! I absolultely hate being told I interpreted a book wrong. Ugh!

I leave you with a quote from William Golding:

“There have been so many interpretations of the story that
I'm not going to choose between them. Make your own choice. They contradict
each other, the various choices. The only choice that really matters, the only
interpretation of the story, if you want one, is your own. Not your teacher's,
not your professor's, not mine, not a critic's, not some authority's. The only
thing that matters is, first, the experience of being in the story, moving
through it. Then any interpretation you like. If it's yours, then that's the
right one, because what's in a book is not what an author thought he put into
it, it's what the reader gets out of it.”

Monday, June 1, 2015

I am totally cheating because I did this one before and honestly, my answers are the same.

1. The Dinner: While
this was definitely not my favorite book ever, I found the topic and
theme intriguing and think that the medium of film might actually do it
justice. As far as the casting, I would suggest perhaps Tom Hiddleston
as the main character. He needs to be someone with a dark side but you
understand why he has a dark side and feel pity for him, almost cheering
for his evil. We all know Mr. Hiddleston's got that down pat!

2. Boy21:
I loved this book. It was all about a young man who is trying to find
his way in the world and is suddenly given the responsibility of
watching over someone else. That someone else is a troubled young
basketball star who recently lost his parents and now believes himself
to be an alien. This tale really goes into what some teenagers are
forced to deal with and coping with tragedy. As far as casting, I have
no idea.

3. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald: We
hear and read a lot about F. Scott Fitzgerald. There are countless
movies about the man. But what about from Zelda's perspective? They
were a young couple newly married thrown into fame and somewhat fortune.
Scott had his issues with wanting to write the great American novel and
alcoholism. Zelda struggled with loneliness and eventually
schizophrenia. In a time when mental illness was treated with
electricity, she tried to rise about it all, only to be dragged down. I
think a good Zelda Fitzgerald would be Emma Stone.

4. Calico Joe: Baseball always makes me happy and this tale of the rising star who was humble and sweet is brilliant. I would go with a young Robert Redford for this one (we are in a perfect world, remember?)

5. The Screwtape Letters: Ok, so I am not exactly sure how this one
would work, but I love it none the less. I was thinking maybe as a
miniseries or TV show.

6. The Count of Monte Cristo: I know what you are thinking. "There are a
ton of movies based on this book." And you are correct. HOWEVER, none
of these movies actually follow the book! Again, this one may not be
good for a movie. A mini-series would be better since there is so much
to cover. But I don't want to see Edmund Dantes happy and smiling at
the end! Did no one read the book?! And as the lead character, hmmmm,
that's a tough one. You need someone who can pull off innocence,
ruggedness, desperation, and evil. Maybe Jude Law? What do you think?

7. The Shadow of the Wind: I ADORE this book. I have a mad crush on Julian. Who could play him? Hmmm.... I haven't a clue!

9. Angels and Demons: Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon? NO!!!!!! Let's redo
this with someone who is ACTUALLY like the character in the book. I am
sorry Tom Hanks, but that's not you. I am looking for a Daniel Craig, or a Michael Fassbender.

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Books have always been a large part of my life. Ever since I was a kid, I remember locking myself away and getting lost in a story. Once I entered middle school, I learned I could lose myself in writing as well. So I figured, why not combine the two?

I'll admit that I am not like other reviewers in that I full-heartily admit my bias. Genres, topics, and authors will begin to sway my judgement long before I start the book, and I am ok with that.

Quality Rating System:1 Star: Ugh....I wish I had stopped reading.2 Stars: Terrible with some tiny redeeming quality.3 Stars: Not terrible by any means, but not great. Read it or don't; I don't care.4 Stars: Really good book and I would recommend it5 Stars: Great book and I will take it offensively if you do not go out and get this book :)

Content Rating System: G: Safe for all readersPG: Safe for most readers, likely not for children under sixPG-13: Safe for teen readers and adults; some language possibleR: Adult content; a lot of language possible